DITA Properties


The DITA Properties tab displays on every asset item. This tab provides details about dependencies within DITA asset collections and provides DITA-OT output format settings for individual DITA maps.

This topic includes:

Dependencies

Dependencies play an integral role within DITA collections. They define linking relationships between DITA maps, DITA topics, and other non-DITA content. The linking relationships between assets depend on one another to function in the DITA collection. If a single reference becomes unavailable, the DITA collection's entire dependency structure breaks.

DITA dependencies include all direct linking relationships within the collection (e.g., <xref>, <conref>). Link types include cross references, navigation, etc.

The DITA Properties feature provides two tabs, Depends On and Used By, where users can review dependencies associated with individual DITA assets and non-DITA assets.

Available dependency details include:

  • The name and ID of the asset that the dependency references.

  • A list of all dependencies that directly and indirectly apply to the currently selected asset item.

  • The hierarchical dependency route path that associates with the dependency entry.

    In other words, the linking relationship chain structure that connects the dependency to the currently selected asset item.

  • The DITA element type that contains the dependency reference.

  • The validation status of the dependency.

    The CMS indicates which dependencies have errors. If errors apply, users can review the error details.

Note
See DITA addressing for OASIS DITA specification details about dependency linking in DITA.

CMS 10.6.378 Dependency Versioning

DITA dependency behavior differs between CMS 10.6.378 and CMS 10.6.308–10.6.342.

CMS 10.6.308-10.6.342 only tracks DITA dependencies based on the latest version. If you mark an older DITA asset version for publish, the CMS will not account for any dependency or content changes in the marked version. If you attempt to publish the older map version, the DITA publishing pipeline will only account for the current version content and dependencies.

CMS 10.6.378 introduces dependency versions, where dependencies are included in a DITA map or topic based on the content version of the asset you mark to each publishing target. The CMS also always tracks the dependencies included in the latest version of the DITA map or topic, regardless of whether this version is marked to any publishing target.

For example, you can choose the DITA dependency version of a map to apply for DITA Preview. If previewing based on the latest version of a DITA map (the most recent version listed in the map's History tab), the CMS only processes dependencies and content changes included in that map version. If previewing based on a marked version of the DITA map, the CMS only processes dependencies and content changes included in that marked version.

This versioning feature can help you to suppress any DITA dependencies not ready for publish, choose dependencies for different targets, and more.

You can filter the dependencies included in the DITA asset version marked for each publishing target by using the Dependency Version drop-down list in the Depends On and Used By tabs. If you want to review the dependencies included the asset's latest version, you can select Latest Version in the drop-down list. This filter option displays all dependencies in the latest version, regardless of whether this version is marked to a publishing target.

Dependency Version Drop-Down List

Note
  • The Depends On and Used By tabs only track the dependencies of the DITA asset you have selected.
  • You cannot delete dependencies that are included in the DITA asset's current version or any version marked to a publishing target.

See CMS DITA Versioning Functionality for details about other CMS dependency versioning features.

Depends On

The Depends On tab provides details about DITA and non-DITA asset items that the currently selected DITA asset references.

For example, let's say the currently selected DITA asset contains a cross reference to another DITA topic and a reference to an image asset. Both dependency links display within the Depends On tab list entries.

See DITA "Depends On" Properties for details to use this tab.

Used By

The Used By tab provides details about DITA asset items that reference the currently selected DITA asset.

For example, let's say a DITA topic references the currently select image asset. The topic that references the image displays as a usage reference dependency within the Used By tab list entries.

See DITA "Used By" Properties for details to use this tab.

Map Details

The Map Details tab provides tools to manage DITA maps. This tab only displays for DITA map items. Features include:

  • View DITA map structure, including links to all referenced topics and other DITA resources.

  • Check out and check in DITA map and all its dependencies.

  • Determine the mark-for-publish status of any DITA map and which publishing target(s) it has been assigned to, and apply or clear the mark-for-publish status of any DITA map.

  • Publish the DITA map.

  • Download the DITA map and all its dependencies.

  • Assign custom fields to each DITA map.

Version Notes: CMS 10.6.378
In CMS 10.6.378, you can filter map details, dependencies, and downloads based on the latest version of the map or on a particular publishing target where the map is marked. Choose your filter from the version drop-down list.

See the CMS 10.6.378 Dependency Versioning section above for details about the map and dependency version features.

In addition to DITA Properties, the Map Details interface is provided in Administration > DITA > DITA Map Manager. See Map Details in DITA Properties for details about this interface.

Alias Management

The aliases feature helps organizations model complex format integrations in the Site Tree prior to publishing the collection. For example, your organization may need DITA content to display on your website alongside page (HTML) content or to be integrated within page content. The DITA aliases feature helps your team envision the overall organization of your output for "mixed-format" integration scenarios.

In addition to DITA Properties, the Map Details interface is provided in Administration > DITA > DITA Map Manager. See DITA Aliases for details about this interface.

Important
Alias structures in the Site Tree always reflect the checked-in current version of the DITA collection, regardless of the version marked for publish. This means the alias structure will not change if the dependency structure differs between the marked and current version.

Version Notes: CMS 10.6.378
In CMS 10.6.378, aliases are accounted for based on the map's latest version and on the versions marked to publishing targets.

Output Management

The Output Management tab provides default settings for DITA map publishing.

These settings serve as fallback options to prevent unintentional DITA-OT publishes on DITA assets. For example, if users execute site-wide publishes without these fallback options in place, the publishing pipeline can publish all DITA assets via the DITA-OT. This may lead to an inordinate amount of DITA asset publishes, which can be taxing on the CMS.

By configuring output management settings, users can preselect the output formats and DITAVALs the DITA-OT will use on individual DITA maps when site-wide publishes execute. The next side-wide publish will apply the output management settings defined within this tab to the applicable DITA collection.

Also, keep in mind that, when users execute single publishes, this will modify the output management settings for the DITA map. For example, let's say users execute a full publish and choose the HTML5 output format in the DITA publishing dialog that displays. When users later access the Output Management tab settings, the HTML5 output format option displays as selected.

Note
The system's default publishing mechanism requires sets of content to be published individually before they can be included in full publishes. If DITA assets have never been published, the CMS doesn't process the individual assets during publish.

See DITA Output Management Properties for details to use this tab.